Hey guys! Welcome to the third chapter! I'm glad to see that this little piece has already caught some people's interest. Glad you could all join us! Let's get started!
Disclaimer in the Prologue.
Getting dressed turned out to be the first obstacle for the temporally displaced Lucy.
Before her jump into the past, her wardrobe had shifted so that pants had taken up almost half of it. Comfortable pants, ones that made her ass look amazing, but were able to withstand her team a bit better. As it was currently, she only had two sets of pants in her wardrobe, a tight pair of leather pants meant for clubbing and a pair of yoga pants for training.
"Really Lucy? Not even one pair of jeans?" She whined to herself, pulling out one of her mini skirts. She shook it out and huffed in exasperation, "Sweet Mavis. Guess I'm going to blow through half my closet again while I save up enough money for new clothes."
With a sigh, Lucy went with her a red top and a cute pink mini skirt. As she pulled on her brown boots and attached her belt, Lucy couldn't help but laugh at her younger self's hope that she would be able to train Natsu to be less destructive. It had taken her a while to give up on the notion altogether, Natsu melting the stadium had been the final straw.
Securing her whip and keys, Lucy headed out of her bedroom. Loke met her halfway with a travel mug of coffee and a yogurt, so she didn't even have to stop on the way to the door. They walked out of her apartment together in the predawn hours of the morning and set out for the outskirts of Magnolia, where the guild building had been located during the seven-year gap. It was far enough out that, with Master Makarov away at the conference, no one should notice the power surge of the King pausing time, but it wasn't so far away that Lucy wouldn't be able to get back for the Lullaby mission later.
"So," Lucy began as they walked, "how do you want to let the guild know about your status this time? We don't have the construction of the guild take the focus away from you this time."
"We tell them the truth of course." Loke began dramatically, "I've become your love slave and since you are a merciful Mistress-" he cut off with a yelp when Lucy smacked him. "What?" he whined.
"You better be glad I'm a merciful Mistress, cat." She scoffed.
Loke wrinkled his nose, "I don't need to know what you and Laxus got up to in your bedroom."
Lucy smirked, "You sure? We sound way more adventurous than you, Mr. Playboy." She knocked shoulders with her spirit gently, "Maybe I can give you some pointers."
"I need so much brain bleach right now." Loke groaned, running a hand over his face, "My sweet innocent little master has been corrupted."
"Married almost ten years, I would have hoped he corrupted me." She giggled, "If not, then my thick headedness would have needed to be recorded for posterity."
"Sometimes I think that's still the case," Loke muttered.
Lucy rolled her eyes, "Come on Loke. Real plans. How do you want to play it?"
"We could just leave it. See how long it takes them to realize something is different." The ginger-haired man shrugged.
"Leaving us prime targets for Mira to ship us together or for them to believe I'm holding you hostage somehow." Lucy pointed out, "Which, in turn, will make you a target once Laxus realizes who I am to him."
"I wouldn't have made it easy on him anyway." Loke snorted, "Especially since I'm almost positive that you're not going to let him go through with the Battle of Fairy Tail again. He'll need someone else to remind him what he stands to lose if he doesn't quit with the power-hungry shit."
"Aw, you're going to give him the shovel talk for me." Lucy cooed, reaching over and pinching Loke's cheek, "The Great Golden Lion of the Zodiac protecting the fragile honor of little 'ol me, hold me as I swoon."
Loke pulled free of her grip and rolled his eyes at her fondly, "Nevermind, you're on your own."
The blonde laughed and threaded her arm through Loke's, "So we'll just let it play out then huh? I could call you in your lion form in the guild to prolong things?"
"If you must." Loke moaned, "But I don't know why you like my other form so much."
"That's easy," Lucy chirped, "I always wanted a huge stuffed animal to cuddle."
They devolved into playful banter for the rest of their walk; Loke trying valiantly to defend his second form's ferocity and scariness while Lucy maintained her stance on his cuddliness.
It only took them about thirty minutes to reach the site where the cute little windmill building was. It was abandoned currently; no door, two prongs of the windmill broken, plants overrunning everything, and the other growth around the building doing its best impression of a miniature rainforest.
"It's kind of sad to see it like this." Lucy hummed, "It was cozy and the fields around it made brawls at least a little less destructive."
"It certainly has some interesting memories." Loke agreed, "You almost being erased from existence, Michelle,…you being sacrificed to a huge fish clock. You know the classics."
Lucy laughed, "Yep." She led him out into one of the overgrown fields just as the sky was beginning to lighten.
"Alright." Loke began, pulling Lucy to a stop once they made it several feet out from the old windmill, "Don't use all of your magic like last time. Your magical container is in a very precarious place right now. Just focus on me and try the normal amount of magic it takes to summon me first. We don't want to overwork you so soon after your jump."
"Right," Lucy said with a serious nod, she took Loke's hands in her own and started to let her magic flow into him, similar to how it would when she summoned him herself. "Open! Gate of the Lion!" the blonde called out confidently, imagining an ornate golden gate with Leo's symbol in her mind's eye. The magic she had pumped into Loke for the spell swirled around them in a tight tornado, ruffling their clothes and rocking them on their feet. Lucy's mouth pressed into a thin line and she pumped in a little more magic, raising it to the level usually needed for a forced gate closure.
That was enough to get the King's attention apparently.
The world around them slowed to a standstill and the barely visible stars in the morning sky swirled in a circle overhead. Lucy's magic stopped pulling just as the enormous being that was the Celestial Spirit King appeared on Earthland
Lucy, who would usually greet her humongous friend with a beaming smile, shuffled in place and waved at the King sheepishly, "Hey, St-" her words were swallowed by a startled squeak as golden magic swirled around her legs and lifted her off the ground, raising her higher until she was almost at eye level with the King.
"Lucy Heartfilia," The King intoned neutrally, his deep booming voice like a roll of thunder. "Why is it that I always find you in the middle of surprises and impossibilities?"
The blonde gave the King a small shy smile, "Bipolar luck?" she offered tentatively.
The King huffed, his lips quirking up just the slightest bit, "That is certainly one way to put it, dear one." His eyes shifted a little and Lucy looked to the side to see that Loke had floated up to join them in a golden aura of his own magic. "Leo," the King greeted, "I see you were not exaggerating when you spoke of your master's stubbornness."
"It hardly needs exaggerating, my King." Loke snickered.
Lucy pouted, "It's gang up on Lucy day, huh?"
"No, old friend, it is 'reprimand and praise Lucy day'." The King corrected, finally cracking a smile. "What you have done, we have all thought to be impossible. You worked one of my spells without help or a catalyst, a feat that should not have been nearly as easy as you've made it out to be. Your resolve and the sheer amount of love you hold for your family bridged the power gap and allowed you to complete the spell with little issue. We can do nothing but praise you for that miracle that you put into motion." Lucy blushed. "But I must reprimand you as well. What you did was dangerous, exceedingly so. That spell you used is a very delicate one; even I am extra careful when I cast it. You did not contact me in any way to get the full information and simply threw yourself back in time without thought. Not only could you have hurt or actually killed yourself but, had you lost control of the spell, you could have caused massive rips in the fabric of the realms."
Lucy bowed her head, "I'm sorry." She said, slipping into her old heiress patterns as she spoke her case, "I didn't know how my request would be taken and, for the sake of my family, I couldn't chance being stopped or denied. The lives of my family were at stake and I let that overtake my common sense."
The King was silent for a moment, Lucy stoically clamped down on her urge to fidget. "Lift your head, dear one." The King spoke gently, "What's done is done." Lucy peeked up at him from beneath her bangs. "I can hardly fault you for doing as we stars are known for doing."
Loke blew out a heavy breath next to Lucy, "What did I tell you? You're his favorite." She elbowed him, another blush gracing her cheeks.
The King chuckled, "Yes, she is." His magic lifted Lucy a bit higher so he wouldn't have to look down and Loke followed after them. "Now, we need to speak on what is going to happen as a result of this. Some things to keep in mind and what you'll need to know about the effects on your magic."
Lucy nodded seriously, "I'll try to keep changes to a minimum, I-"
"No," the King interrupted, "It's much too late for that. You casting the spell and being here has already made that point moot. Even if you managed to control your urge to protect your family and let events unfold like before, the main event you wish to change would still cause massive ripples." He pulled his arms up and crossed him over his chest, "No, you are a Heartfilia, you are of the stars, so now that you've done the impossible you'll be able to do what we stars do best. You'll be able to take control of your own fate."
Lucy blinked up at the King, "Are you…are you saying I can change anything?"
"Did you honestly think you would be able to come back and change just that one event?" The King asked her gently.
Lucy blushed and ducked her head again, "I wasn't really thinking past Tenrou, that's where I meant to come back. When Leo told me I was back further, I was hoping to make plans to mitigate the aftermath of the big events but I hadn't thought I would be allowed to change other things."
Loke shook his head playfully, "Both the Fairy Tail mage's and Fairy Tail Master's mindset. A single-minded focus on destroying the threat and damage control. Too long with the guild has really damaged our Princess' thought processes." Lucy sent her lion spirit a small pout.
The King chuckled again, vibrating the air around Lucy and making her blush deepen at its sound. "Dear one, changing the events of Tenrou island a year from now would have made massive ripples. Seven years worth of ripples. With that in mind, changing anything else would almost be an afterthought in the grand scheme of things."
Lucy blinked and cocked her head, "I hadn't thought…but the butterfly effect would really…" a frown crossed her face, "Mavis, maybe being with the guild really has messed up my head."
Loke laughed, "Happens to the best of us Princess."
"Indeed." The King agreed, "Who is not influenced by their family?"
Lucy's face softened, and she gave a small smile, "Yeah," she looked up at the King again and folded her hands in front of her, "Alright then, I can change things for the better. What will I need to keep in mind?"
The King nodded seriously, "The most obvious thing to keep in mind is that the more you change the less you truly know about the future. Do not let it stop you but use your skill as a writer to imagine what ripples may occur when you change events. Remember these words 'Knowledge prompts change yet change negates knowledge'*."
"Right." Lucy answered, 'I'll need to get a journal to map everything out.'
"Also, you using this spell will attract a lot of attention from other realms and those seeking power. Anyone who is powerful enough to feel and track the derailed fates of yourself and your family." The King explained, "Many are angered when I interfere but can do nothing. A mortal interfering for anything that they see less than the 'greater good' will draw them in."
Lucy gave a heavy sigh, "Great, more of a reason for people to target me."
The King let out a rumbling laugh, "I'm sure you and your family will be able to take them. And they shouldn't really take issue until after the events of Tenrou Island, so you shall have time to prepare yourself and your people."
"Yeah, I'm sure some of them will be much too happy to get into a fight over me." Lucy huffed. 'I'm going to need to talk Master into giving me control of the guild's finances as soon as possible. I can't imagine what the damage claims are going to look like, it will be best if I start building the guild's accounts back up to what they were when I was in charge.' She rolled her eyes, "Okay, anything else?"
"Two things actually. The first is about your magic." The King said solemnly, "Leo and your spirits pushing you back further than your goal was the best thing to happen in this situation. Because of this spell and because your magic cores were so drastically different between where you came from and now, it has put your magical containers in a very precarious place. When you merged with your current self, your magic containers were drastically widened and deepened very suddenly, not to mention your second origin was torn open. Because of this, the walls of your magical containers are thinner than they should be at the moment, they are straining to hold all of your new magic."
Lucy's eyes had gone wide and she shot a look at Loke who nodded grimly, "Can I build up the walls again?"
"They will build up naturally over time." The King responded, "In perhaps seven to eight months if nothing drastic happens and you don't help it along. Your physical and mental training can speed up the process, of course, by about half. I will have Crux and Virgo monitor you and keep us both informed about the state of your containers." Lucy nodded and the King continued, "Until then, you must not use more than half of your magic and you must not even think of using your second origin. If you drain yourself dry your containers could collapse completely; leaving you comatose at best, unable to ever use magic again or dead at worst."
Lucy's mouth was hanging open a little and her cheeks were pale, "Well…" she cleared her throat as that came out raspy, "I'll just have to make do with half of my main container then. It's already more than I was able to use around this time anyway and I've picked up different tricks since then."
"You certainly have." The King chuckled, "I would not do anything that uses more magic than a Stardress. Anything that takes more power than they do tends to drain you much faster than even holding open multiple golden gates."
"I guess that means no Singularity form." Lucy joked dryly.
"A wise choice." The King answered back in amusement. "You should be able to use the support spells you created once the people involved fully trust you again but even them I would still be careful with, at least until you are back to one hundred percent."
Lucy nodded, "Gotcha, now what was the last thing?"
The King's face pulled into a grin, almost blinding Lucy with his pearly whites, "Ah, that. Before I came down to see you I got quite the earful from Aquarius."
Lucy huffed, "Did she demand something? I'm sure I can take care of it if you would rather not."
The King laughed, a full-on belly laugh that shook the world around them. "No, this is a demand I am happy to fulfill, dear one." The King's magic started to climb higher on Lucy's legs, bright blue threaded through the gold easily as it moved to engulf her torso. "She demanded that I ensure that her tattoo was the first one you got this time around as well."
The blonde let out a little squeak as the magic closed around her neck and flared brightly. She felt a tightness thread over her collar bone before it eased up and the magic receded back to her legs. Lucy brought a hand up to her collar bone and touched the familiar mark that had once again settled there. Happiness and joy rushed through her and Lucy couldn't help the bright smile that broke out on her face, she sent her oldest friend her love and thanks through their connection. "Thanks, Stacheface," she beamed up at the King, "I'm glad to have it back."
"I'm sure." He hummed, "Now, any last questions? You know I don't like to hold time still for too long."
"Just a couple." Lucy said smartly, "First, you're letting Leo back in, right?"
"Of course."
"Good," Lucy said, ignoring Loke's blushing and grumbles over her worrying. "Second, did the Tartarous books come back? They weren't tied to my soul but they were kept with Crux after I rewrote them, so after hearing that my spirits remember I'm not sure about the books."
"The Ten of Tartaros are indeed still in Crux's Library." The King rumbled, "However, they have a fractured connection with their demons now. There are now two sets of them, the set currently in the Celestial Realm and the set currently with the demons themselves. I will have Crux look into this but I believe you will have to do a spell to override the other books with the ones you've already rewritten to free the Ten again."
"I can work with that," Lucy said. She drew in a deep breath, "What about the Book of E.N.D.? Did it happen to reappear?"
The King's face fell a little and he shook his head, "It did not. I'm afraid you'll have to get it from the Underworld King once you reform him again."
"We'll have to stock up on the good coffee," Loke muttered, Lucy giggled.
"Alright. I think that's it." Lucy said, "Thanks for all your help, your majesty!"
"My pleasure as always, little Heartfilia." The King said as he began to fade out of this realm, "I look forward to watching you take your fate into your own hands as we stars do."
Lucy was lowered to the ground gently just as the last of the King disappeared and time resumed, the sun peeking over the horizon in a steady beam.
Loke dropped down next to Lucy and grinned at her, "That went well."
Alright, now we're cooking with grease!
So, that was a whole boatload of set up. Sorry about the overload but it had to be done.
The line 'Knowledge prompts change yet change negates knowledge.' is not mine. I got it from dls on Ao3 in their awesome Avengers Frostiron time travel story titled 'If you had this time again'. I just really like how well it sums things up in a time travel story. I don't know if they got it from somewhere but I got it from them so...
"Author-sama? What is a Singularity form? It's not in the manga or anime?" You're right! It's a little something for later. It's oh so appropriate for Lucy and I've fallen in love with the idea of her having that form. It will probably show up in my other stories in different ways as well. If you want a hint, maybe google 'singularity marvel'. ;)
So yeah, in the story, a year til Tenrou. I need a bit of time for Lucy to fully integrate herself again, with everyone this time, and I have always thought that there must be at least a few weeks of downtime between each big event. I mean, with all the injuries before Wendy showed up to magically heal everyone? Even if their magic helps them heal faster, not everyone has the same amount of magic and everyone is always healed by the next time shit hits the fan. Lullaby and Galuna rally do appear to be back to back events but even them I'm going to play around with a little.
So...how's it lookin'? Send some comments my way!
Next Chapter: Lullaby...(Arc, cause let's get the kids play stuff out of the way and get with the shenanigans lol)
